The Washington critic., 1887-11-03
THREE INTERVIEWS.
HE.


detail In Richmond, Va, was passing
down line of new recruits drawn up
for medical inspection. He put them
through the usual contortious. They
swung their arms, rose up on their
toes, rolled their eyes and put out
their tongues after the manner Of their
kind. while he perfunctorily thumped
and scrutinized them not unlike criti-
cal darkey In melon patch.
AT last he halted before a medium
sized, yellow haired lad, whose beard
less face, slender physique and eyasive,
not to say nervous. manner indicated
that youthful timidity was strongly
con,endiug with the fiery resolution
that had doubtless brought him
hiiher.- His preternalurally large,
bright eyes hardly ever rose In their
glances above the surgeons sash and
sword belt. His face and neck were
well tanned. yet his features were of
classic regularity and his hand small
and shapely. The routine questions us
to age, etc, were answered with evi
dent reluctance. The doctor seemed
10 grow suspicious. for he suddenly
pressed his knuckles sharply against
the youths chest. The latter sprang
back with swift appealing glance at
his tormentor, who abruptly turned,
passed to the next man and so on down
the line. When he had finished, Doc
tor Iyzarde returned to the lad, and,
consulting his list, said In II cold, OIL
cial tone:
"Your name is Oliver WildY"
"Yes, sir"
"You will come with me, Wild.
Your case seems TO require special at
tention."
The surgeon led the way, while
Wild, with eyes upon the ground,
quietly followed him into a private
office, when the latter closed the door,
and turning TO the would be soldier, he
said, stcrnly:
Now, miss or madam, how long
have you been masquerading In this
attire, and what Is your real purpose?"
The youth looked up with fright.
ened contraction of feature; then as.
sumed with effort hardened, indif.
ferent air, saying:
II RELY don't make out TO under.
stand ye, SIR"
II will make my meaning plain. You
are a woman. 1t Is difficult to conceal
such things from physician who
knows his business. Do not deny 1t.
'Twould save you from n more public
exposure. Your motives, though
widely mistaken, may be honorable;
yet. though the Confederacy needs
soldiers badly we can do without
women In that capacity for q while
yet. l also fear that In your language,
as in your actions, You are yelling your
real station In life by an assumption
of Ignorance as unnatural to you as 1t
seems degrading to me-"
AS Iyzarde concluded. the other
lowered his gaze to the floor and re.
mained obstinately silent. The doctor
resumed.
"You will see that It is impossible
for me to pass you. Yetif you have a
real desire to serve your country, there
are other ways wherein you may do so
without unsexing yourself. There
are"
"Do you really think ?" she inter.
rupted. 1--WE may as well say "she"
now.) In her eainestness she forgot
her cracker dialect and intonation, aud
spoke with pure and refined enunci.
alton.
Certainly" replied Iyzarde. "There
are hospitals needing good nurses also
the Sisters of Mercy and Charity of
various religious and secular orders
who follow the ambulance aud brave
shot and shell TO accomplish good work
on the battle field. The courage of the
soldier Is not more essential than the
devotion of those who minister to hu
man suffering amid frightful perlls to
the living. Even your face and hands
are artiiicially tanned. See 2"
Before she could resist he took one
of her hands, pushed up the coatsleeve,
revealing thereby shapely white arm.
Through the brown upon her cheek he
saw the rich color rising as she hung
her head. AT this period some one
entered the outer office, and the doctor
bidding her to remain there until his
return, went out, closing the door be-
hind him.
1t was several minutes before lit
came back, only to find that the would
be recruit had vanished. An open
window looking into back yard, that
communicated with an alley leading ia
the street, explained the manner of her
exit. lie afterward made various dis
Greet inquiries, yet heard of her nc
more. finally abandoning the quest will
n feeling Of pique She had interested
him more than he felt the heroine OF
such freakish escapade deserved
There was contradiction and mystery
involved therein that puzzled ant
fascinated him; yet as the months wor,
on these impressions gradually faded
into vague, gently regretful memory
SHE.
Sister Maria Jones, nurse of tn,
order of the white Cross" attached
TO the ambulances of Gordon's divls
rear of the trenches before Richmond
The time was the winter Of 1SGi-5
Grant was drawing his Gordon tightly
around the doomed city. Withou
those battle worn lines were all TIL
pomp and circumstance of war; within
its suffering and desolation. The mel
In the rifle pits were stretched to tn
utmost limit consistent with safely
and the fighting was inccssant ant
severe.
One day Sister Maria was called on
10 attend q young surgeon, whose pro
fesslOnal ardor on the field had sub
jected him to dangerous wound She
started back at the sight of his p ale
inanimate face, then quietly settling
herself with new resolve, she hardly
left his side for two days. He wa
then taken to Richmond where bette
accommodations could be secured Il
him. After his departure Sister MARI
continued her work of mercy as usual
yet there were grayer lines upon hel
face and, at times, soft, introspectiyI
light In her eye, while she might hav,
been detected In committing certain
thoughts to her diary that she wOult